Primary care is the backbone of the U.S. healthcare system given its inextricable link to positive health outcomes and health equity, yet the availability of these integral healthcare providers varies greatly state by state.
The average number of primary care physicians per 100,000 people in the country is 156.7, but Rhode Island sits at the highest end of the spectrum and Idaho at the lowest in terms of supply.
A greater number of primary care physicians has been linked to longer life spans and better patient outcomes, including lower rates of low birthweight and all-cause mortality, according to the United Health Foundation. UHF factors primary care physician availability as an indication of health when calculating its annual America's Health Rankings report, which is the longest-running annual assessment of the nation's health on a state-by-state basis.
Here are the complete state-by-state rankings the foundation used to calculate states' 2018 overall health scores, the most recent available. Values reflect the number of active primary care physicians per 100,000 population. Primary care here includes general practice, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, geriatrics and internal medicine. Access the complete report here.
- Rhode Island — 264.5
- Massachusetts — 245
- New York — 223.7
- Connecticut — 216.3
- Pennsylvania — 208.7
- Michigan — 200.9
- Maine — 194.3
- Maryland — 188.2
- Hawaii — 187.6
- Illinois — 184
- Vermont — 183.3
- New Jersey — 176.3
- Ohio — 174.6
- West Virginia — 168.5
- Missouri — 166.4
- Minnesota — 165.9
- New Hampshire — 163
- Delaware — 161.4
- Nebraska — 155.5
- Wisconsin — 150.1
- North Dakota — 149.5
- Iowa — 146.7
- Washington — 146.5
- Oregon — 145.4
- Virginia — 144.6
- New Mexico — 141.6
- Colorado — 141.3
- Tennessee — 140.2
- Alaska — 139
- California — 138.3
- Kansas — 136.9
- Louisiana — 136.4
- North Carolina — 132.5
- Florida — 131.3
- South Dakota — 130.9
- Oklahoma — 129.4
- South Carolina — 128.9
- Arizona — 126.1
- Indiana — 126
- Kentucky — 124.1
- Alabama — 122.8
- Georgia — 121.9
- Arkansas — 120.9
- Montana — 115.2
- Texas — 113.2
- Wyoming — 109.4
- Mississippi — 108.6
- Nevada — 107.6
- Utah — 99.2
- Idaho — 95.7